This invention relates to animal feeding devices, and, more particularly, to a system for supporting animal feeding devices for caged animals.
Animal feeding devices were initially developed as a means for tending caged laboratory animals in a cost-effective manner. A common design that has evolved for water delivery includes an inverted bottle having a depending outlet spout, and some form of metering device that emits water when touched or licked by the animal. Often, the bottle is secured to the exterior of a wire cage or the like, and the depending spout extends obliquely through the cage wall to be accessible to the animal. Animal feed is generally provided in a dish or cup that is similarly suspended from the wire cage. In either case, the water bottle or dish is periodically removed, cleaned, and refilled to assure a steady supply of food and water to the animal. Given the fact that a large number of animals may be under care at a single installation, it is desirable to employ a support system for the watering and feeding containers that is as inexpensive as possible, while also being as easy and quick to operate as possible. Any advance in these regards comprises a considerable advance in the art.
The present invention generally comprises a system for supporting a wide range of animal feeding devices on the wall of the enclosure that accommodates the animal. A salient feature of the support system is that the animal feeding device is easily removed and replaced, thus expediting the feeding tasks associated with maintaining an animal in an enclosure. Furthermore, the support system is simple and inexpensive, and is thus cost-effective for large-scale animal facilities.
A primary component of the feeding device support system of the invention is a bracket assembly. The bracket assembly includes a mounting plate having one surface adapted to impinge on the wall of the animal enclosure. If the enclosure is a wire cage, there is provided a backing panel disposed to impinge on the inner surface of the cage wall, and a threaded fastener joins the mounting plate to the backing plate with the cage wall disposed therebetween, thus forming a semi-permanent mounting on the animal enclosure. If the enclosure includes solid walls or glass walls, the mounting plate is secured within the enclosure by double-sided adhesive tape or the like applied to the interior surface of the solid wall or glass wall.
The mounting plate includes a mounting hole extending through a medial portion thereof. The mounting hole is generally rectangular, and includes a flange projecting upwardly at the lower edge thereof. A latch lever is pivotally secured to the plate by a pivot pin adjacent to one side of the mounting hole, and includes an actuating end extending laterally beyond the side edge of the mounting plate. A curved slot is disposed adjacent to the other side of the mounting hole, extending in an arc that is centered at the pivot pin. A slot pin extends from the lever to ride in the curved slot, and is retained therein by a flange extending from the slot pin and received in a mortised opening of the slot. The surface of the mounting plate that includes the mounting hole, pivot pin, slot, and lever is inset with respect to the remainder of the plate surface, so that the lever is disposed substantially flush with the plate surface.
The food and water service containers furnish according to the invention are each provided with a mounting lug extending from a sidewall portion thereof. The mounting lug includes a short stem portion extending from the sidewall, and a head portion joined to the distal end of the stem portion. Both the head and stem are provided with similar cross-sectional profiles: an arcuate upper side joined to depending sides, and a lower edge extending linearly between the depending sides. The head portion is somewhat greater in width and height, and defines a flange extending laterally from the stem portion. The head portion is dimensioned to extend through the mounting hole with limited clearance. The flange at the lower edge of the mounting hole is received between head of the mounting lug and the sidewall of the container. Likewise, the latch lever is dimensioned in thickness to be received between the head of the mounting lug and the sidewall of the container.
The latch lever includes a curved edge portion that is configured to engage the arcuate upper surface of the stem portion of the mounting lug. The curved edge portion is formed and positioned so that the lever is rotatable into a latched position in which the curved edge portion fully engages the arcuate upper surface of the mounting lug stem, and the flange of the mounting hole is engaged between the lug head and the sidewall of the container. The mounting lug is thus tightly gripped, and the container is rigidly secured to the mounting plate. In the latched position, the slot pin is disposed at one end of the curved slot. The latch lever may be rotated about the pivot pin to an open position, in which the slot pin is disposed at the other end of the curved slot and the curved edge portion of the lever is free of the mounting lug of the container. In this open lever position the mounting lug may be inserted or removed with respect to the mounting hole. Thus flipping the latch lever through an angular excursion of approximately 20xc2x0 is sufficient to secure a feeding container, or release, remove, and replace a feeding container.